SHOPPETALK: 101 I Want To Be An Influencer

I know my crew has been asking for this post for a while now but honestly, I didn't feel like I had been through enough to speak on this topic.  Now that it has been a full three years of getting paid to "Influence" as a Blogger, sharing my insights and tips seems like the right thing to do.  Everyone is at different phases of "starting" so I will try to address a few of them while providing tips to progress each phase.  I don't want this post to be pages long so I've decided to expand this conversation into multiple posts.  You won't get a full blueprint by reading all of the posts, but you will get an outline + hopefully some direction.

Jumping into Phase 1: I want to be an Influencer but I don't have a Blog or YouTube channel yet and all of my Social Media is loaded with pictures of my family.  The first question I have for you is, why do you want to be an Influencer?  I ask this because when a person truly 'wants' something, they can't help but integrate that passion into their daily life.  The fact that you haven't started a Blog or YouTube channel even just to share with your friends + family on Facebook makes me question if you want to be an Influencer for the right reasons. Would you want to be an Influencer if there was no money or products involved?  I know, you're probably laughing right now but I'm so serious.  The majority of Bloggers + Influencers you see today started when no one was checking for them.  Products were being purchased with their own coin + shared with people they went to school with + followed them to be nice.  Though these were rough years for them, it's how they were able to build their authentic following.  And guess what?  Brands only want to work with you based on your authenticity + your following.   You can't be hella authentic with 10 followers and you can't have 100K followers and be fake AF.  Balance.  So I recommend you evaluate why you haven't 'started' doing anything to follow this path you love so much.  Start doing 'something' even if it means curating images of the products your family uses.  If you've only posted pictures of little Ray Ray then start sharing what products you use on little Ray Ray.  That could be your specialty... Family Blogging.  Once you start then you'll be ready to move on to one of the phases below.

Phase 2:  I have a great following on all of my Social Media platforms but brands never approach me about collaborating.  This is actually all too common, especially for those who recently graduated college.  Whenever you post a picture you tag every brand that can be seen including your panties.  Believe me, the brands are seeing this and scrolling right past.  You are not sharing an experience.  It's like you waving someone down and then when they finally come over, you have nothing to say.  Clean up your feeds and become more intentional about your content.  There's nothing wrong with posting a picture and tagging brands but instead of sharing an image of your newly redecorated bedroom with every brand tagged, caption reading: "I wanna put you to bed..." (J. Cole referenced)  Try referencing the products/brands you love the most about this new space + why you love them!  Before I move on to the next phase, I want to ask you how many brands have you reached out to via email?  Theres fifty eleven people trying to become Influencers every day.  Brands can't keep up and they surely can't find each and every person that may be a right fit for them.  Sometimes YOU have to be the go-getter.  Find their PR email and introduce yourself because if you're waiting for them to find you then you might be waiting longer than you need to.

Phase 3:  I just want free products, I'm not trying to work this into a business or anything.  My advice to you is start entering giveaways.  I'm dead serious!  Believe it or not, there will always be a certain amount of work required even to receive free products.  Look at these people receiving free products left + right, their feeds are impeccably curated + they're hella creative.  Brands want to know that there's a chance their products will end up on one of these gorgeous feeds.  They don't want their product stuck between a picture of some janky meme + the food at your niece's graduation cook out.  It takes time to photograph those products WELL + share a story that your audience will relate to.  So if you really just want products, I'm sorry to tell you that it will take creating a space that brands will want to be highlighted in.  It will take intention, creativity and lots of work!  I will be the first to tell you that when I get lazy and don't feel like posting to my Blog or Social Media, nobody sends me anything.  Real talk.  It does take a certain amount of 'work'.

Hope you enjoyed the first of several Blog posts dedicated to the many who are interested in this lifestyle.  I understand that while some may be ready to risk it all + quit their job at this moment that there are others who just want a side hustle which is why I provided the different phases.  Stay tuned as we continue to move through the various steps you can take towards this path.  In the meantime, figure out which phase you're in and define your goal.

Until next time XOXOMCS.